While it is not the ideal time of the year to transplant rosemary, situations can happen where you want to, or have to, do it in the winter or the summer. So is that even possible and do you need to do something special to make it work?
Well, that’s exactly why I wrote this article. To teach you what you should know about transplanting rosemary in the winter or summer.
Rosemary can only be transplanted in the winter if there is no frost for several weeks after the transitions since it will damage the roots and prevent the plant from adapting to its new spot. The plant must be hardened off to acclimate to its new environment since it will likely experience a significant temperature change.
Transplanting rosemary in the summer usually requires allowing the plant to acclimate to its new spot. This is especially true if you move it from indoors to outside as it will experience a significant increase in temperature and the amount of sunlight it receives.
Can You Transplant Rosemary at Any Time of the Year?
Since the vast majority of the world experiences frost in the winter, it won’t be possible to transplant rosemary all year round, but only in the spring, summer, and fall.
If you live in a tropic or subtropical region you might be able to transplant rosemary all year round, although it is only possible if your area doesn’t get frost in the winter.
That said, it will almost always be better to wait until the spring when the plant will get a gradually increasing amount of sunlight and gradually increasing temperatures.
The exception to this is if you want to repot your plant and keep it inside. You can do this at any time of the year regardless of the temperature outside since it will be protected from the cold. Spring is still best, though, since the plant will get more and more sunlight gradually in the beginning, which can help it settle in the new pot.
If you need to put your rosemary in the ground, go to my article where I have a full step-by-step guide that takes you through the process. If you would rather put your rosemary in another pot, I cover how to repot rosemary here.
If you insist on transplanting in the winter, though, I recommend you read these next few tips I have to share.
Tips for Transplanting Rosemary in the Winter
Winter is far from the ideal time to transplant rosemary. In fact, it is the worst time since the cold weather can make it difficult, and often even impossible, for the plant to adapt to its new spot. That’s mostly because the roots will die if they are exposed to frost.
Because of that, transplanting when there is frost will often kill the plant. If you have transplanted your rosemary and it seems to be dying, that might be the problem but it can also be other things. I have another article where I go into more detail about why rosemary can die after being transplanted.
So if you live in an area that gets frost in the winter, you should not transplant your rosemary at that time of the year. Instead, wait until spring, at least two weeks after the last frost.
If, on the other hand, you live in the tropics or subtropics, you might be able to transplant your rosemary in the winter without killing it. Just make sure there is no risk of frost.
If you are going to transplant your rosemary in the winter, you should give it time to acclimate before moving it to its new spot permanently.
The key to helping rosemary acclimate is to let it get used to its new environment gradually over 1-2 weeks.
The easiest way I have found to do that is to put it in its new spot for 1-2 hours on day one and then bring it back inside. Repeat this every day for 1-2 weeks while gradually increasing the amount of time the plant stays outside by 1-2 hours per day.
This process is also called “hardening off”. It gives the plant time to get used to the new conditions and reduces the risk of transplant shock.
If you keep your rosemary indoors and just want to put it into another pot, you don’t have to consider the time of the year. Repotting can be done at any time if the plant is being kept indoors. Just don’t do it more often than necessary as it can stress the roots.
Tips for Transplanting Rosemary in the Summer
The key to transplanting rosemary in the summer is to consider the change in temperature and the amount of sunlight it will experience. This is especially true if you keep the plant indoors and want to put it outside.
The best way I found to transplant rosemary outside in the summer is to gradually move it outside by putting it in its new spot for a few hours on day one before bringing it back inside. Repeat this over the course of 1-2 weeks while gradually increasing the amount of time the plant stays outside every day.
After those 1-2 weeks of gradually increasing the time the plant stays outside, you can leave it in the new spot permanently or put it into the ground if that’s what you want.
Perhaps, what I have found to be the biggest challenge when putting rosemary outside during hot summer months was to give it enough shade in the beginning.
The method I have found that works best is to put the plant right outside my door like in this photo. That way it is still protected from being exposed to too much sunlight right away.
If you do it this way, you have a much higher chance of being successful and not damaging your rosemary.
Just keep in mind that summer is generally not the ideal time to put rosemary outside since it will often experience a significant change in its environment. I go more into detail with the topic of when you should put rosemary outside here.
So if it is possible, I recommend that you wait until spring or fall to transplant it. I explain why now.
Best Time of the Year to Transplant Rosemary (And Why)
The best time of the year to transplant rosemary is in the spring at least two weeks after the last frost. That way, the weather conditions are sufficiently mild for the plant to adapt
Alternatively, fall is also a great time to transplant rosemary for similar reasons. Because the weather conditions are generally relatively mild, which helps the plant settle in its new spot more easily.
The difference between doing it in the spring and fall is that the plant will be exposed to an increasing amount of sunlight over the next several months if you transplant it in the spring and a decreasing amount if you do it in the fall.
This means that the plant has more time to settle and grow in the new spot before a potentially cold winter if you transplant it in the spring. That way, it has more time to become robust and will have a higher chance to make it through the winter.
I go more into detail about the best time to transplant rosemary here.